Bared Soles: Three Days of Snow
by Jade-Max
Summary: Jaina and Zekk are snowed in due to a freak snow storm.
1. Day 1

Disclaimer: It all belongs to George - I'm just playing in his mighty sandbox ;)

**Title:** Bared Soles: Three Days of Snow

**Author:** Jade-Max

**Genre:** Is "tension" a genre? Short Story, mush

**Timeframe:** Uh... completely, totally AU - somewhere, sometime .

**Characters:** Jaina, Zekk.(J/Z)

**Summary:** Jaina and Zekk are snowed in due to a freak snow storm.

**Notes:** Cheeky humor, tension, - first kiss ;) Winter 2006 challenge fic

**Challenge:**

**It's Cold Outside**

Jaina and Zekk are snowed in due to a freak snow storm. How old they are, where they are, and why they're where they are is up to you.

--

**Bared Soles: Three Days of Snow**

_Day 1_

White. Clear, pure snow whipped around the two slowly trudging figures as they struggled towards the questionable shelter on the side of the mountain. Long hair, a shade lighter than black, whipped about two toned emerald eyes as they scanned the area in front of them. The blizzard had come from nowhere, catching the both of them unawares and unprepared for cold weather. Zekk shivered, noting the blue tint on his companion's lips and lunged for her as she slipped, going down on her knees in the quickly drifting snow.

"Just a little further, Jay. We can make it."

Jaina Solo nodded, struggling back to her feet from the trip that would have sent her head first into a snow drift if he hadn't caught her. Her jaw was locked to keep her teeth from chattering. She followed him, keeping his hand firmly in hers as much for the little warmth he held as for the need to touch him, to have some link to the world of the living. Her legs were leaden, her body lethargic, and while she didn't say anything, she knew that he knew she was pulling strongly on the Force to continue on.

Zekk cast a glance back at Jaina, concerned, before turning back in the direction of possible shelter. Trust them to be in the middle of a plain at the base of mountains, lost, when a blizzard struck. He trudged forward, pulling her along, bolstering her flagging energy with his own. He scanned ahead, searching for the outcropping that had caught his eyes shortly before the storm had hidden it from view.

There.

Close now.

He picked up his pace, Jaina keeping up only by the virtue of the arm he pulled along. They stumbled forward as a sudden gust of freezing wind hit them from the side, Zekk staggering backwards and then forwards, going down and rolling as he hit the ground. Jaina went with him, pulled along by the hand he hadn't released.

They slid through the snow, rolling to a stop several feet away.

The quiet brought their heads up.

Zekk looked around and silently thanked the Force; they'd found shelter at last. He turned, examining Jaina, and crawled over to her when he saw she wasn't moving. "Jaina?" He fought to keep his teeth from rattling.

Her eyes were slow to open. "Z-Zekk."

He could see her hands were blue, her lips a similar color. Any exposed skin was almost white, indicating possible frostbite. Zekk pulled her into his arms and began to briskly rub her upper arms through the fabric of her clothing. "We made it. I told you we would."

"G-good." Her teeth chattered with cold as she shivered in his grasp.

Neither of them had been dressed for the possible storm. Zekk could barely feel his fingers, but the tingling sensation began to grow as he briskly continued to rub Jaina's arms. She curled into him. She hadn't been wearing a coat and her upper arms were cold to the touch. He at least had been wearing a long-sleeved shirt that had kept the worst off.

Her eyes closed and her head lulled to the side. Zekk did the first thing that came to mind; a survival technique he'd learned long ago. He tugged his shirt open and pulled her close, wrapping the ends about her. Her skin like ice as her arms settled against his chest and he shivered.. She didn't react at first and then curled close, her head moving to tuck under his chin as her arms snacked about his middle to settle in his lower back.

Zekk wrapped his arms about her, rocking back and forth, drawing consciously on the Force to manipulate his own core temperature and keep it from dropping. Jaina continued to burrow closer, turning so that he had to shift, stretching out on the dry floor of the small cave. He could feel every inch of her through her clothing. Very thin clothing, he realized. Her shirt was barely more than a thin t-shirt; her pack with her heavier gear must have been lost.

The wind whistled outside, the snow forming a barrier at the entrance and locking their body heat inside. The cave began to get warmer and Zekk reached down, careful not to disturb Jaina, and pulled one of the four heat sticks from the pocket of his pants. He'd been expecting to need it on chilly autumn nights in the bush or maybe to dry his clothing after a dip in a stream; not in a life and death situation.

He cracked it open and placed it on the ground nearby, ensuring nothing flammable was in the area. The stick glowed, and he knew from experience it would last for just over a day. He only hoped the blizzard wouldn't outlast his supply.

Jaina shivered against him and he could feel the wetness of her shirt sticking to his ribs. He wondered if his next suggestion was wise before he realized he himself was shaking. With the snow melting, their clothing was now wet, sticking to them. "Jaina."

She shifted her head. "Hmm?"

He shook her shoulder a little. "Jaina."

"W-what?"

He hated to disturb her, but didn't dare leave the issue. "We have to get out of these wet clothes."

"S'ok."

Zekk shifted her in his grasp, rolling so she was underneath him, and then pushed up on his arms. Her grip was solid for a moment before the weakness of the cold set in and she released him, dropping to the dry floor of the cave. Her eyes opened slowly as she shivered convulsively with the loss of his warmth. "We have to get out of these wet clothes."

Her eyes drifted closed again and she curled towards the warmth being generated by the glow stick. Zekk could see the steam rising from her. He shook his head, rising to his knees, and proceeded to undo the buttons on her shirt. She didn't react at first; not until he was certain she felt the first breeze across her trim stomach.

His gut clenched. Damn her. This wasn't how he'd pictured undressing her for the first time. His gaze went to hers and the confusion he saw was alarming. "W-what are y-you d-doing?"

"I told you; we have to get out of these wet clothes."

"And c-change in-into w-what?"

"They have to dry, Jay. If they don't, we could both end up with our death of a cold."

"S-safer to h-have c-clothes."

He stopped, his fingers resting on a button just below her breasts. "I'm not going to take advantage of you, woman; I'm just trying to get you warm!"

She laughed weakly. "I m-might take ad-advantage o-of y-you."

He chuckled. "Be my guest. Let's just get warm first, alright?"

Her eyes closed and he knew immediately she'd passed out. He lifted her off the ground and pulled the shirt over her head. He spread it out near the heat stick and then cracked open a second one, grimly telling himself if they didn't get warm now, they'd never need to get warm. At least, if their clothes dried, they could huddle together when the sticks ran out.

Determinedly he set about divesting himself of his outer clothing, and Jaina the remainder of hers. They had to get dry and fast.


	2. Day 2

_Day 2_

Jaina woke sometime later, a feeling of warmth, delicious warmth surrounding her. Her eyes were closed as she slowly inhaled, the soothing scents of repulsor oils and musk drawing a sigh from her. She frowned. Her pillow was moving. Moving? He opened her eyes, taking in an expanse of pale flesh she found vaguely familiar. Pale... Zekk?

The past day's events came rushing back and her head popped up completely as she realized her last fuzzy memory was of Zekk telling her they needed to be undressed to warm up properly. Her gaze sought his and she stopped.

He was sleeping.

His head was turned to the side, his hair splayed out across the ground like ripples on a pond. He was shirt-less, pant-less, but, she noted with some relief, had stopped there, his under clothing - and hers - still firmly in place. She was also pressed up against him in an intimate fashion that hadn't been apparent when she'd been craving his body's warmth. Her lips curved into an embarrassed half-smile as she watched him sleep, shifting herself a little.

His brow puckered and his arms, loosely linked behind her back, tightened fractionally. She stopped moving, carefully putting her head back on his chest and looking about their small sanctuary.

Zekk had tucked them under a small overhang inside the cave; an overhang that caught and reflected the warmth of the heat-sticks, resulting in a cocoon like atmosphere of warmth despite not having a blanket. Outside the overhang their clothing was spread out to dry, the two heat-sticks arranged to provide the maximum heat for both functions. The cave itself was small, no more than ten feet by ten feet, the mouth around a small corner that was lipped, preventing the wind and snow from entering. She could just make out the snow, which was still falling, against a black sky.

It was night then.

She shifted and something in Zekk's demeanor changed. His body became rigid for a moment, tense, and she knew without looking he was awake and aware of their position.

She blushed and made to move.

Zekk's arms tightened about her for half a second before releasing her reluctantly. They parted just enough that air slid between them and Jaina shivered, finally lifting her gaze to meet his. He had propped himself up on his elbows, watching her. Jaina was forced to lie on her side, her head propped on her elbow, her other arm self-consciously draped over her chest, her hand resting on the upper arm of the hand holding her head.

"How are you feeling?"

She managed not to blush at his question. It was valid concern considering she'd been half-frozen when they'd stumbled into the cave. "Much warmer. Almost human."

"Almost?"

"I'll feel more like myself when I'm dressed."

"If they're dry."

"If?"

He shrugged. "They were pretty soaked. Your shirt is probably good; it's fairly light."

And it would be a barrier between them. She rolled and reached for it, jerking her hand back when she realized the air outside the overhang was quite a bit cooler. She grimaced, shooting a look at him before rolling back into her previous position. "This over hang was a great idea."

"Thanks." He shifted and turned, looking at her face to face, propping his head up the same way she had been. "Are you sure you're feeling alright?"

It put several inches of space between them and Jaina felt a sudden, inexplicable urge to shift forward, towards him. She must still be cold; or so she told herself. "Fine. I think you planned this."

He raised his eyebrows. "This? Oh yes, I regularly plan to show a girl a good time by half-freezing both of us and then hope I find a cave where I can get her alone."

Jaina giggled. "Well..."

"I hate to break it to you, but the weather is beyond my control."

"Really? That storm came up awful quickly."

"Regional fluxuations." He shrugged. "I think our mission's shot though."

"Know what I think?" She cocked her head at him.

"What?"

"I think that we're stuck here for a reason."

"Enlighten me as to what reason that is."

She blushed, dropping her gaze. "Well, uh... I think... I mean-"

His finger settled over her lips, silencing her. His eyes had darkened into a single tone. "Know what I think?"

She shook her head.

"I think we're just stuck in a snow storm. If you'll give me some room, I'll check on our clothes."

She did, flattening herself against the ground. Zekk carefully maneuvered himself out from under the overhang, not taking the opportunity to kiss her when it presented itself. Jaina felt a keen disappointment when he straightened, and then couldn't help but admire the wiry strength of him. He wasn't built like some of the men she knew, but he was beautifully proportioned.

"If you don't stop looking at me like that, Jay, I won't be held responsible for my actions."

She colored darkly and rolled away, presenting her back to the main cave.

Zekk chuckled softly, checking on their clothing, hoping they'd be dry and feeling a strange sense of disappointment mingled with glee when he found they weren't. His shirt was dry, as was Jaina's, but both of their pants were still damp enough he didn't dare chance a return towards hypothermia. He collected their shirts and returned to crouch by the overhang. "Our pants are still too wet to wear yet, but the shirts are dry if you want them."

"Them?" She rolled half-way towards him.

He offered her his shirt too. "Mine will keep you warmer."

"What about you?"

His smile was wry. "I'm plenty warm, thanks."

Jaina accepted the shirts, but put hers on the ground and balled it into a pillow instead of wearing it. She shrugged into his, rolling the sleeves back before doing it up. It fell to mid-thigh as she stood to stretch.

Zekk turned away, checking on the power meters for the heat sticks.

"I can do that. You should crawl back into that overhang until our pants are dry."

"I'm fine, Jay."

Her hand came to rest on his shoulder. He shrugged it off as if he'd been burned.

"Zekk?"

He closed his eyes for a moment against the hurt he heard in her voice. "Drop it, Jaina."

"But-"

He looked at her sharply, silencing her protest, a dark humor flitting through his gaze. "If you're not going to take advantage of me like you said you would earlier, drop it."

She turned away, sinking to the ground near one of the heat sticks and tucking her legs into his shirt. She wrapped her arms about them, resting her cheek on her knees, and watched him silently. She wiggled her toes, the sandy bottom of the cave holding the heat well enough.

Zekk rolled his shoulders, the muscles flexing in his back as he tried to relieve the tension that had appeared the moment he'd awaken to find Jaina, a warm and pliant Jaina, draped across his chest. It took a great deal of willpower and concentration to avoid embarrassing himself and she wasn't helping. He was completely unprepared for the sight of her in his shirt watching him solemnly.

"You alright?"

He coughed. Alright? He wouldn't be alright until they were able to leave the cave. "I'm a little worried."

"How come?"

"We're snowed in with four ration bars apiece; two more heat sticks, damp clothing and snow for water - but nothing to melt it in. We've no communications, no way of showing anyone where we are, we've lost both packs and we have half a planet trying to kill us. Is there a reason I shouldn't be worried?"

She chuckled and stuck her tongue out at him. "You could be stuck here alone."

He blinked and then smiled sheepishly, sinking to the floor in front of the overhang.. "There is that. Must be the pessimist in me."

"Comes from being a vent crawler." She moved, pulling her legs out of the shirt and moving towards him. "Don't look at me like that; I won't bite."

"Says the girl who nearly took my head off when I tried to remove her shirt to get her warm."

Jaina cocked an eyebrow at him. "I wouldn't if you tried now."

Zekk looked as if she'd sucker punched him. "W-what?"

She shrugged, spreading her arms wide as she felt empowered by the look in his eyes. "We have to share body heat anyway to conserve those heat sticks. It's probably best if we curl back up under that overhang." Her smile turned saucy. "So the question is do I disrobe for you, or do you disrobe me."

He looked at the small overhang then back to her. "That's not a good idea."

"Maybe not, but it's better than freezing to death. Those heat sticks look like they're already at half power."

"One is, but our clothes will be dry by the time it dies. The other's on low so it'll last longer."

"Zekk, I don't' bite."

"I might."

She blinked and then grinned. "So call me dinner and get your shapely tush back in that cubby."

"On one condition."

She arched her eyebrows telling him he was in no position to be making demands.

"Humor me; keep the shirt on."

She laughed, crawling on all fours to get back into the overhang. "If you want to freeze, fly boy. To be generous I'll sleep with my back to the rocks."

He smirked. "That was the idea, princess."

Jaina curled up close to the rocks at the back of the overhang and pulled her balled up shirt under her head. She watched, amused, as Zekk slid back in, the chill bumps on his flesh disappearing as he settled back in the warmth. She giggled as she heard him sigh. "A little chilly?"

"A bit. I'm not dressed for the weather."

She laughed. "You're not dressed for much of anything, let alone the weather."

He affected a wounded look. "And you are? I'm the one who had to rescue _you_ from the storm - and you were supposed to be rescuing _me_!"

She shrugged, propping her head up on one arm again. She blew a strand of hair off her face. "I'm lousy at this whole rescue thing. I think I'd rather let you rescue me."

Zekk reached up to tuck the errant strand behind one ear, taking the opportunity to run his thumb over her cheek. "You're usually more grateful when I rescue you."

"How's that?"

"I don't have to fight with you to get you warm."

Her grin was unrepentant. "You can't tell me you didn't enjoy part of it."

His expression turned solemn. "I can. I was terrified I was going to lose you, Jay. I've never been more scared in my life."

"I'm a fighter; you should know that by now."

"I know." His gaze was serious. "But even fighters give up sometimes."

She swallowed hard, her throat tight. Her free hand came up to clasp his where it lay between them and squeezed tightly. "Not this one. I'll never give up, Zekk. Not with you around."

He lifted their joined hand and gently, softly, placed a kiss on the backs of her fingers. "I'll hold you to that. We should try and get some rest; who knows, maybe by morning this blizzard will have cleared."

She smiled, but it was slight, his subdued mood having caught and held her. "Now you're being an optimist."

He simply shrugged and stretch out, resting on his back and cocked his left arm behind his head for a pillow. Jaina watched him for a minute and then pulled out her balled shirt. "Here."

"You use it."

She smiled faintly and patted his muscular chest proprietarily. "I have a pillow, you don't. Take it."

His answering smile was enough to make her tingle as he slowly placed the balled shirt under his head. Jaina scooted closer, tucking herself into the crook of his arm and using his shoulder as a pillow. Her eyes closed as she listened to the steady beat of his heart and let the sound lull her to sleep.


	3. Day 3

_Day 3_

Jaina had lost all track of time when she next woke. Her head was cushioned on something soft, but not something person-soft. She opened her eyes only stare at the sight that greeted her.

Zekk was crouched by one of the heat-sticks, his pants hanging loosely off his hips, the black fabric on enhancing the paleness of his skin. He was still bare-chested - she was still wearing his shirt - and she could see the chill bumps still on his skin. His hair hung loosely about his shoulders, longer than her own, and she had the strangest urge to run her fingers through it. She'd had a lot of strange urges since the storm struck. She felt her mouth go dry, unable to say anything as he moved to check the other.

She saw him frown and then reach into one pocket and pull out another heat-stick. He turned it over in his hands as if debating with himself about something before cracking it open with a snap of his wrists. She thought she saw him dial the indicator down to conserve energy. She shifted, and must have made a noise, because he looked in her direction.

Zekk smiled when he saw she was awake. "Hi."

"Hi, yourself."

"Sleep well?"

"On a sandy, rocky floor?" She pulled herself out a little so she could sit up, but stayed where the heat reflected best. "Well enough I guess. You?"

"The same. Your pants are dry."

She quirked an eyebrow at him. "So are yours by the look of things. I suppose you'll want your shirt back, huh?"

"Keep it for now; yours is too thin for this weather."

"As opposed to going shirtless? I _can_ see those chill bumps you know."

He shrugged, crouching nearby so the warmth of the heat-stick was reflecting towards him. "I'll manage. I'm not the one who was frozen solid two days ago."

"Two..." she blinked. "You can't know it's been that long."

"No?" He pulled two ration bars from a pocket and proffered her one. "We've one left each. The day we stumbled in here neither of us ate; according to my wrist-chrono we've been stuck in here for two days so far. This is day three."

"Three days!" Jaina accepted the ration bar with a limp hand, shocked. _Three days!_

He nodded grimly. "Yeah. Not much we can do about it though."

Jaina placed the un opened bar on the ground and scrambled to her feet, snatching her pants from where Zekk had placed them - neatly folded and everything - to his left. He coughed, turning his head, color high in his cheeks as she thrust one leg and then the other into her pants. Her socks and boots were sitting off to one side but she made no move for them, noting Zekk was still bare foot. She was fastening the clasps and belt as she continued. "We have to get out of here; the rendezvous was supposed to be yesterday!"

"Are you hiding a personal transceiver I didn't find?"

She flushed, letting his shirt fall back to its full length, almost to her knees, and stalked towards him. "You don't expect us to just sit here and starve, do you?"

He stood and glared back at her, heading off her aggressive stance. "It's better than freezing to death! You haven't looked outside, Jay; there's five feet of snow in some places, more in others. Do you propose we wade through it while the wind is howling with no idea of where we're headed? You know as well as I do they'll come searching for us. If we sit tight, the blizzard will end eventually and they'll send out the search team."

"If those blood-thirsty natives don't find us first."

"If we can't go out in this, neither can they. Besides, we'll sense them coming and if they do risk coming out after us in this, it'll be our chance to ambush them and obtain some warmer gear."

Jaina's anger faded and her shoulders slumped. "I just hate waiting."

"I know, I do too." Zekk pulled her into a hug. She went willingly, her arms sliding around his waist as she rested her head on his chest. Zekk gently stroked her hair, drawing as much comfort from the embrace as she was. "But we really don't have much choice."

She tightened her grip. "That doesn't mean I have to like it."

"It also doesn't mean you should take it out on me." A chuckle rumbled through his chest. "I'm stuck in the same situation you are, remember?"

She sighed. "I know; it's just so frustrating." She looked up at him only to find he was looking back. She smiled slightly. "I'm sorry I'm such a pain to be snowed in with."

He tucked a lock of her hair behind her ear with a smile. "I can't think of anyone I'd rather be stuck with. Jaina?"

Her breath caught at the intense look in his eyes. "Yeah?"

He paused and then, softly, so softly she wasn't sure she heard him right, whispered, "I'm going kiss you." She might not have heard him correctly but she read the intention in his gaze, in the way his hold on her shifts, his head slowly descending. She stretched towards him, going up on tip-toe as she tilted her head and closed her eyes, wanting him to kiss her almost as much as he wanted too. She heard him groan softly, heard him whisper her name, and then, gently, as if he was afraid she'd break - or maybe change her mind - his lips settled on hers. The touch was fleeting, whisper soft, barely a caress and certainly not the contact she was expecting.

She wanted more.

Her eyes opened to find him looking at her questioningly and she realized her emotions must be showing on her face. Five years of waiting, he'd finally kissed her; she didn't care what he saw. She reached up, tangling her hand in his hair the way she'd wanted to since waking and pulled his head down. She saw his eyes widen in the moment before she took control of the kiss.

His lips were warm, willing and for a moment pliant as she kissed him. Her breath was stolen as she was suddenly crushed against his chest, Zekk's arms tightening about her deliciously even as his mouth went from accepting to demanding. She shifted from aggressor to submissive, making a low sound of surrender in the back of her throat. This was what she'd always wanted; this was what she'd dreamed of doing, of having him do. Five years of dreams hadn't prepared her for the reality and her heart raced in her chest.

She gave as good as she got, demanding in her own ways, her hands buried to their wrists in his hair as he explored her lips. She deepened the kiss, moving it to the next level when he seemed hesitant to do so. She'd done it so often in her dreams, the movement was almost natural. For an instant, a brief instant as she arched against him, she wished their clothes weren't yet dry.

Zekk tore himself away, burying his face in the curve of her shoulder. He trembled in her grasp and Jaina noted for the first time that they were kneeling on the floor. His knees must have given way and hers certainly didn't have the starch to hold them. She whispered something to him, not even sure of what she was saying as she extracted one hand and stroked his hair. He trembled and, even as she watched, her own hands were shaking.

"Are you alright?"

"Fine." his voice was muffled and she could sense his reluctance to move. But move he did, lifting his face so that troubled emerald eyes met hers.

Jaina searched his face. "Is something wrong?"

"No."

"Then why are you so serious?"

He chuckled softly. "We're still stuck in this cave."

"Aside from that."

He shrugged, his hands gently smoothing the fabric of his shirt down over her shoulders. "That _is_ the problem, Jay. Think about it."

She did and then shrugged. "I can't think of anyone else I'd rather be stuck with."

His gaze was solemn. "Even knowing there are limits?"

"That's why I'd rather be stuck with you. I promise not to test yours if you don't test mine."

"You - we - already did." He looked as if he was going to kiss her again and then abruptly got to his feet.

Jaina was he paced, acting like a caged animal as he went to check the snow outside, prowled back towards her and then turned once more, checking to be sure his first impression had been correct. "You're going to catch your death of a cold standing in that chill wind."

"The blizzard's dying down."

Jaina settled back, using her arms to brace herself as she stared up at him. "Unless you're hiding some kind of cold weather gear _I_ didn't see, we're still stuck here."

His shoulders slumped for a brief moment before he determinedly moved to crouch by the heat-sticks again. She saw him dial the nearest one, the one that seemed to be almost dead, to its lowest setting. He then moved to the new one, checked it, and then proceeded to the last one.

Jaina sighed. "The last five minutes haven't changed anything, Zekk. We're still stuck in this cave with one yet to be active heat-stick, one ration bar a piece and no way of signaling for help."

He stopped what he was doing, staying where he was, one knee on the ground, his arms folded across the other as he braced himself to look at her. "So what do you suggest we do to pass the time?"

She cocked her head at him. "Wanna neck?"

"Jaina!"

She smirked and laughed, covering her nerves with humor. "Ok, maybe later! Lighten up, would you? You were right; we're stuck here, so accept it and think of some way to pass the time that's not going to drive either me or you crazy."

He turned, setting his back against the rock wall of the cave and stretched one leg out in front of him, the other cocked so he could rest his arm against it. He was facing her, almost directly across, and if she picked a similar position their feet would have touched. Instead she stayed cross-legged and looked at him, waiting.

Finally he made a face. "It's your turn. My last _topic_ just made things more awkward."

Jaina grinned. "Left little room for chill though."

"You are _not_ helping."

"I was supposed to be?"

Her flippant comment made him shake his head in exasperation. "Can we focus here please?"

"On what?" She cocked her head at him, her eyes sparkling with mischief. "The fact that it took getting me alone in a snow storm for you to _finally_ kiss me?"

He groaned, covering his face with one hand. "Jaina _please_."

"Please what? More?"

"Please stop."

"But it's fun making you squirm!" Her smile was sassy. "Why is that, anyway?"

"Why is what?" He was unable to follow her train of thought.

"Why did it take five years and us being trapped and half-dressed for you to finally kiss me? You've had plenty of opportunities before."

Emerald eyes peeked from between his fingers and noted her expression was serious, almost hurt. He lowered his hand, watching her and decided she was serious. She looked forlorn, hurt at the fact he'd not made good on any advances. "The time wasn't right."

"Ha!" She waggled one finger at him, stretching out her legs and kicking his bare foot with her own. "The time wasn't right? That's a cop out."

"I thought you might deck me."

She blinked. "Ok, that I _might_ believe - if you weren't grinning like an idiot. Seriously, Zekk. Why?"

He sighed, shifting his seat. "You're two years my junior; what would your father have done if he'd found out I was spending my time with you in an inappropriate fashion?"

She snorted. "I'd have told him to mind his own business."

"You're his little girl. You may be nineteen, but you're _still_ his little girl. I like my head where it is, thanks."

"Then why here?"

He smiled faintly. "Unless you or I tell him; how's he going to know?"

Jaina made a face. "Jacen will know. The second we set foot back at the academy."

"Ah." Zekk's eyes sparkled. "But Jacen also knows my intentions are honorable."

"How, pray-tell, would Jacen know that?"

"Probably because I told him."

"Told him what?" Her expression turned intensely curious.

He looked distinctly uncomfortable. "Can we drop this?"

"You brought it up. Just what did you tell Jacen?"

He kicked her foot with his toes. "I told him I wouldn't hurt you or hound you. He told me I was an idiot."

Jaina blinked before bursting out laughing. "_Jacen_ told you that you were an idiot?"

Zekk looked away, the color in his cheeks high as she collapsed in a fit of uncontrollable giggles. The look on his face only made her laugh harder, curling up on her side as she held her stomach, her laughter reverberating through the cave as she repeated the statement over and over again, the irony too much to bear.

He waited for long minutes but she didn't seem to be inclined to stop. "Jaina; stop it."

She rolled around, clutching her stomach, silent tears running down her cheeks, unable to answer even if she wanted too.

Zekk frowned. "Jaina."

His serious tone set her off again, only it was silent laughter with the occasional wheeze as she fought to breathe.

He kicked her foot. "That's enough."

She looked at him, managing a serious face for a fraction of a second before the laughter started again.

"_Stop it_!"

"Or what?" she asked between giggles, breathless.

He reacted instantly, his hands snaking forward to grab her ankle and he hauled her across the sandy floor until she was pinned beneath him. A mound of sand cradled her head, her eyes wide with surprise. He glowered at her, their noses inches apart. "Or I'll shut you up."

She hiccupped. "That's not much of a threat."

His eyes narrowed. "I was thinking about using your shirt for a gag."

"It'd work better as a blindfold."

Zekk stared at her, completely taken by surprise by the flippant comment. "What's gotten into you?"

She grinned cheekily. "You did."

He muttered something she didn't catch but sounded something like "not yet" but she wasn't certain. "What?"

"Forget it, Jay." He shifted his position a little, keeping her pinned; it seemed to have alleviated her giggles. "Get over the fact Jacen told me I was an idiot, alright? Though I'm starting to think he's right."

"You're not an idiot." Her eyes flashed with mischief. "Just a little dense; any _normal_ guy would have kissed me ages ago."

He quirked an eyebrow at her. "What does a Solo know about _normal_?"

"Nothing." She stuck her tongue out at him. "Which means everyone is normal but us."

"And vent crawlers"

She giggled, her eyes dancing as she nodded.

Zekk growled low in his throat. "I'll show you normal; it's normal to want to kiss a girl when she's pinned beneath you."

Jaina's eyes widened as his head came down, given no time to react.

His second kiss was different than their first. This one was demanding, almost as chastisement for her previous behavior. His lips were hard, almost punishing, ravaging her mouth instead of exploring it. He gave her no chance to think, no chance to protest, only to react. And react she did, her hands twitching and moving upwards to touch him. He shuddered in her grasp as her warm hands met the cool skin of his back. She could feel his muscles flex under her finger tips even as he tilted his head and deepened the kiss.

She embraced him, hearing him groan as he slowly, carefully, settled atop her, almost as if his arms could no longer support his weight. She was assaulted by sensation.

Taste; he tasted of ration bars and snow, pure, cold and cool.

Smell; the dryness of the cave combined with the muskiness of bodies twined together in passion.

Sound; he whispered her name, he groaned - she groaned - as they continued to tease one another.

Touch; his skin, cool, yet burning under her fingers tips, his muscles contracting and shifting as he continued to kiss her. The warmth of his mouth, the sting of his teeth as he nipped at her lips. The silken feel of his hair as one hand buried itself to the write, the other held captive against coarse, gritty sand. The feel of his length, his muscles, shifting and adjusting, her own doing the same, and seeming to fit together perfectly.

She made a low protest in her throat, a half-hearted sound that had him pulling up abruptly. Her eyes fluttered open to find him staring at her, his eyes molten pools of Jade, the strain of his control visible around his eyes and mouth. "We should stop."

She cocked her eyebrows at him, his words lacking conviction as he dropped a gentle kiss on the corner of her mouth. Her breath, already matching the tempo of her heartbeat, caught. "We should?"

He nodded, nuzzling her cheek and flicking his tongue over her earlobe, seeming unable to help himself. She shudder in his grasp, her body afire with sensations she'd only previously dreamed about. Dreams that had always centered on scenes like this.

"Why?"

He chuckled low in his throat, a strangled sound. "I'll take advantage of you if we don't."

She gasped as he gently bit the side of her neck. "Advantage? I'm a will - Zekk!"

He chuckled softly as her back arched off the floor. "A willing participant?"

She nodded.

"I have to stop, Jaina."

"I d-don't want you t-to."

"Beside the point. I know what lies ahead; you don't."

"W-what if I-I take advantage of you?" She couldn't keep her voice steady as she struggled against the hitch in her breathing.

He did stop then. She could almost see him closing his eyes, fighting for control; she felt the deep breath he took, the motion inadvertently pressing them intimately together. His forehead was against her collar bone, his muscles still under her hands. She could feel him fighting against the words she'd said previously in semi-jest, now meaning them more than not.

She was on fire and she wanted him to either quench it; or join her in it.

He did neither. Slowly, ever so slowly like it pained him, Zekk levered himself away. She tried to hold him, but couldn't as he pushed abruptly to his feet. Her eyes widened as, without so much as a glance in her direction, he headed for the cave entrance.

She struggled to her feet, her legs refusing to heed her commands. "Zekk! What are you _doing_?"

"Cooling off."

"Zekk!" She scrambled after him as he stepped around the lip and proceeded to fall, face first, into the high snow bank.


	4. Day 4

_Day 4_

Zekk was up with the first light the following morning, the weak sunshine that filtered into the cave waking him from an uneasy slumber

After the events of the previous evening, his discussion with Jaina and subsequent dip in the snow bank, he's found that cold, chill pants were a wonderful deterrent to her advances. She'd tried to get him to remove them, but he'd refused and so she'd cracked open the last of their heat-sticks and informed him in no uncertain terms he was to sit as close to it as possible and dry out. He'd done as he was told until she'd removed his shirt, replaced her own and handed his to him. . He'd put his shirt on reluctantly, aware that Jaina's scent clung to it, only to remove it when she curled back up under the overhang, alone.

He'd waited, listening to each breath, each noise she made, his body tight with unquenched desire. He hadn't dared move until he heard her breathing even out, felt her presence slip into slumber. He'd placed the newly activated heat-stick in the placed of the one that was currently dying, ensuring she would stay warm, and went to check the others. He found two were dead, the third about two-thirds gone, and set about ensuring he captured the heat of the last stick well.

Now, the sun peeking over the nearby mountain tops, he'd found himself as close to the entrance as he could get without being uncomfortably freezing, letting the chill dampen his desire. Even asleep and with ten feet between them, the cold biting unpleasantly into his bare skin, he wanted her.

_Damn her,_ he thought savagely. _She knew what she was doing, why couldn't she just let it drop?_ He stared out into the white wilderness, wishing the sun would rise faster, become stronger, to free them from their weather imposed prison. His thoughts were uneasy. He knew why Jaina had done what she had. He knew why she goaded him, taunted him; teased him to the brink.

He knew why she wasn't afraid of his reaction.

He sighed, rubbing a hand over his chin and noting the first hints of the stubble he had such trouble growing. His lips twisted in a self-depreciating smile. He would never be able to grow facial hair like some he knew.

"A credit for your thoughts."

He stiffened. He hadn't heard her move, and his senses were particularly attuned to her and her movements; or so he'd thought. He slanted a look at her, his expression carefully neutral. "You're up early."

Jaina shivered, rubbing her bare arms as she stood just outside the direct entrance. Her bare feet dug into the sand, reaching for the warmth of insulation. Her query had been soft, concerned; she'd seen the strain on his face and felt suddenly guilty for being the cause. "You're up late." She countered with a hesitant smile.

She had sand on her cheek, grains in her hair and dotting her clothing. She looked beautiful to him, but then, he didn't think she would ever _not_ be. "I couldn't sleep."

She arched her eyebrows, rubbing her arms harder, trying to keep the chill out. "Couldn't sleep, or couldn't sleep with me?"

"One and the same." He looked back out across the pristine white landscape. "We should be able to get out of here today if the sun keeps gaining strength. I heard the suddenness of the weather changes is one of this planet's more alluring features."

"For honeymooning couples maybe." Her response was testy. "For non-couples it's just a pain."

Zekk moved away, towards her, and reached out to take her shoulders. With a gentle shove he turned her, facing her back towards the center of their small cave and blocking the chill wind with his body. "Non-couples, huh?"

She nodded, more than willing to cross to where the overhang was and settled herself in front of it. She turned to find Zekk had stopped after his first steps, just barely out of the wind. "What else would you call us?"

"After last night? I don't know anymore."

Jaina pulled her knees to her chest, wrapping her arms around them. "What would you _like_ to call us?"

Zekk smiled faintly. "Are you sure you want to know?"

Jaina cocked her head at him, resting her chin on her knees. "I wouldn't have asked if I didn't. I mean, am I just a fling?"

"A _fling_?" He gawked at her, completely taken aback. "Never, you could _never_ be a fling."

A small, satisfied smile curled her lips. "I'm glad."

"Is that what you see this as, Jay?"

She shrugged. "I don't know what to see this as. I dreamt of you, you know."

He stiffened abruptly. "I don't want to hear this."

"Why not? Afraid I'll jump you?"

"Terrified." He acknowledged with a slight smile.

Jaina laughed softly, reaching one hand down to play with the sand and running it thoughtfully through her fingers. "I saw you and me ten years from now."

"Jaina..."

"Just listen, would you?"

He shut up, uneasy at the thought of her dream, but knowing they'd be no peace if she didn't say what she needed to.

Satisfied she'd obtained his cooperation, she continued. "I saw us in a cave, much like this one, having a discussion like... like yesterday." She colored slightly, but forged ahead. "Only you were still pulling back. You were still completely beyond my reach, even though you're merely feet away. Does that make sense?"

He shrugged. "It depends on how you view it."

She cocked her head at him. "Why are you trying to keep me away? I want what's between us as much as you do; I'm starting to think more. Much more. What's holding you back?"

Zekk watched her guardedly, but the temptress of the day before had been replaced with a serious, hurt young woman. Despite himself, he answered her. "I don't deserve you."

Her eyes widened in surprise. "You _what_?"

He shrugged, sighing as he leaned back against the cave wall. "You're too good for me Jay. Surely you can see that."

"I hope you're joking."

"Think about it."

She did; at least he thought she did. She appeared to be, her expression serious as she watched him. "I don't follow your line of thinking, vent crawler; mind enlightening me?"

He smiled faintly. "I think you just answered your own question."

She blinked and then stared at him in disbelief. "Because of your past as a street kid?"

"That's part of it." He saw confusion in her gaze and knew she didn't understand. So he continued for her. "I grew up in a rough landscape, Jaina; it helped forge and mould me into the man you see today. I've known hunger, suffering and war. I've enforced all three and delighted in it. I've killed people without a second thought to ensure my own survival. I've walked past those weaker than myself without so much as a glance because to do so, to care, would have cost me more than I had to give."

"B-but..." Her knees dropped and she sat cross-legged, staring at him shocked. "You've moved beyond all that."

"Have I?" He watched her carefully. "Have I really?"

"Of course you have!"

"Then why was my last mission's cover to become what I once was? Do you know how _easy_ it was? How easy it is to slip into old habits, to assume that mask of unfeeling, despite their disuse?"

"You're a scavenger and a survivor; those aren't skills to be ashamed of."

"I never said I was ashamed."

"Then what-?" She stopped. "Are you trying to protect me?"

"You haven't seen the ugly world of society's underbelly, Jaina. You haven't seen the deliberate cruelty; been forced to inflict it for your own survival. I never want you to know that."

"You could have said no."

He smiled faintly. "And who would they have sent in my place? You? Jacen? Maybe Tenel Ka? I'm the only one suited to do the dirty work and Master Skywalker knows it."

"Aunt Mara could-"

He shook his head, and she bit her tongue. "Mara's too well known. Despite her talents she has too many contacts - and she's made more than a few enemies. Especially here."

"And you think that because you remember how to blend in to an environment that you don't 'deserve' me?"

He shrugged. "Sludge is still sludge even if you put it in a fancy glass."

She wrinkled her nose. "I think you're just scared."

"Believe what you want, Jaina."

She pushed to her feet and stalked towards him, deliberately choosing her words as she planted her feet. "Sludge can be purified given the proper treatment, Zekk. You've been through darkness, walked paths few can understand, and come out better for it. You've grown beyond the circumstances in which you lived to become something and someone better. You can't tell me a part of you isn't yearning to go back, despite the guards, to help some of the poor retches you must have seen."

His eyes narrowed. "Who are you trying to convince?"

She stopped in front of him shivering; one heat-stick didn't do much to their small cave. "You. Because if you could see the way I see you, you'd never believe you didn't deserve me. I'm no angel you know."

His expression softened, and he reached out, gently brushing a few grains of sand from her cheek. "And if you saw the way I see you, you'd know that you are."

"Shows what you know." Her smile was gentle as her hand caught his, keeping it close. "You shouldn't be so hard on yourself, Zekk. It belittles what you've been through to become what you are."

"I sometimes wonder." His voice had dropped to a whisper. "What am I, Jaina? What do you see when you look at me?"

Her hear constricted at his tone. She stepped closer, sliding her arms about his waist. He stiffened but didn't pull away as her head came to rest on his chest. "I see strength. Strength of character, conviction and purpose. I see honor; both personal and professional. And I see pain. The pain of failure, of having fallen; the pain of knowing one's own faults."

"I told you I wasn't good enough for you." He spoke into her hair, softly kissing the crown of her head.

She laughed softly. "I also see the man who wouldn't hurt me, who fought me to a standstill and refused to allow me to come to harm - even as my enemy. You're the man I gave my heart to that day; do you remember?"

"How could I forget?" His voice was choked. "I still don't think I deserve you."

She lifted her head and found herself looking into emerald eyes that swum with tears. She shifted her grip, framing his face with her hands and stared into the eyes that had the power to unnerve her and calm her like nothing else. "Well I think I deserve you, Zekk. I love you; can't you see I'm crazy about you?"

"That's why I can't Jay."

"You don't love me?"

"I love you too much."

A small smile spread across her face. She tilted her head to him, pushing to tip-toe, and pulled his head down.

He could have pulled away, could have moved beyond her touch, but he chose not to. Her words had disarmed him, humbled him. They weren't petty words spoken by a spoiled princess, or even the words of a friend trying to comfort. They were the words, the look, of a young woman who had found what she was searching for. And she appeared to be searching for him.

Her lips brushed his, her fingers tangling in his hair, pulling him down further, searching for contact. She kissed him sweetly, her lips hot and demanding as she begged for a response, a sign that he truly felt for her what she did for him. He sighed, softly, against her lips, his embrace tightening as her mouth opened under his, arching wantonly into his grasp as he accepted her unspoken request.

One of her hands slid down, to the top button of his shirt below the collar and deliberately opened it. She challenged him, her fingers electrifying on his skin as she slid them inside his shirt and proceeded to pop the buttons one after another.

Rational thought fled, leaving behind the acceptance and demand of her kiss; her intentions. Leaving behind the sweetness of the moment. A moment he knew instantly that would change their lives forever.

This time he didn't pull away.

--

They were rescued that evening by Tenel Ka and Jacen flying the _Rock Dragon_ in a low search pattern. Jacen took one look at his glowing sister as she boarded the ship and the tender look that crossed between her and Zekk and knew immediately what had transpired below.

And, for once, he held his peace.

_fin_


End file.
